



W 






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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 



TIMOTHY BLOOMFIELD EDGAR 



AND HIS WIFE, 



MARY ANN BOYCE EDGAR. 



WITH AN APPENDIX 



SEP 21 1894 



7"~& 



BY THEIR DAUGHTER, 

FRANCES H. EDGAR KICK 






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THE LIBRARY 
OF CONGRESS 1 

WASHINGTON 



COPYRIGHT, 1893, 

BY 

FRANCES H. EDGAR RICE. 






TO MY DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS 

THESE SKETCHES 

OF 

OUR BELOVED PARENTS 

ARE 

AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED. 



" The record of the life of Timothy Bloomfield Edgar is full of 
instruction to the youth of our land. It carries with it the lesson 
that the faithful and unflinching discharge of duty in every rela- 
tion of life, produces in the end the flower of a noble manhood, as 
surely as the dew and sunshine of the summer bring forth the 
ripened fruit." — L. U. Reavis, in "St. Louts, the Future Great 
City of the World; Biographical Edition ." 



INTRODUCTION. 



Is it because this year (1892), is the four-hundredth 
anniversary of the discovery of a vast continent, of a new 
world, that the inhabitants of the land, at this historic 
period, peer so intently into the dim past, scan old manu- 
scripts, records, sear and yellow with age, and search, as 
never before, among the ruins of fallen dynasties, for the 
why's and wherefore's of existing circumstances, midst 
which the}' now find themselves ? These existing cir- 
cumstances constitute the elements of a new and unique 
nation, and under such influences, at this period, an 
American cannot trace his own personal genealog}^, with- 
out a blood-stirring realization that the building of the 
American Nation was no haphazard work, and the stu- 
dent of history soon perceives, that in the weaving of the 
web of the Nation's life, an all-seeing Eye penetrated the 
distant future, and that while fashioning and preparing 
the precious fabric, a powerful and unseen Hand guided 
and controlled the ever flitting shuttle. Such at least, is 
the thought vividly impressed upon the mind of the 
writer, as she traces the various and far-reaching ancestral 
lines of an American family, in which the elements that 



enter into the building of the American Nation are 
largely represented : amidst the throes and upheavings of 
the nations of the past, billows roll and toss, till at 
last, they break upon the shores of a new world ; and 
forth from the centuries that follow, emerge the typical 
American family, so well illustrated in these biographical 
sketches. For example, we see the transition of the 
Saxon family Edgar into that of a Scottish, in the story 
of the overthrow of the Saxon dynasty by the Norman 
Conquest. Again, a Norman family becomes an English 
one, according to the tradition of the Boyce family, which 
states that its members, natives of Neustria or Nor- 
mandy, entered England with William the Conqueror ; 
in connection with the Boyce family, in the maternal line 
a Holland ancestry is introduced, while the Harrell 
family is Welsh-English, through a paternal ancestress 
(in a direct line) who was a sister of Sir Martin Fro- 
bisher* and whose maternal grandfather was a lord of 
York.f Thus in two persons, man and wife, standing at 
the head of an American family in 1892, we find the 
Saxon, Scottish, Norman, Welsh and English races rep- 
resented, together with that of the Netherlands. 



* According to his biographer (Frank Jones, B.A., London) Sir Martin 
Frobisher was held in high esteem by Queen Elizabeth, and that it was to his 
skill and bravery she largeby attributed the great victory, won by the English, 
in the battle with the Spanish Armada. 

t Father of Sir John York. 



TIMOTHY beoo^eield edg^f^. 



"The prosperity of a country depends, not on the abundance of 
its revenues, nor on the strength of its fortifications, nor on the 
beauty of its public buildings ; but it consists in the number of its 
cultivated citizens, in its men of education, enlightenment and charac- 
ter ; here are to be fouud its true interest, its chief strength, its real 
power." — Martin Luther. 



TIMOTHY BLOOMFIELD EDGAR was born at 
Railway, New Jersey, January 20, 18 15. He is a 
descendant (in the sixth generation) of David Edgar, 
of Keithoek, male representative of Edgar of Wedderlie, 
Scotland. A son (Thomas) of this ancient House, a house 
with whose history, so much of romance and tragic story 
is associated, came to America and purchased an estate in 
New Jersey in 1725. The history of Mr. Edgar's mater- 
nal ancestry also abounds in romance, he being the fifth 
in descent from Edward Crowell, who arrived at Amboy, 
New Jersey, in 1705. The Crowell family (presumed to 
be descendants of Sir Henry Cromwell, grandfather of 
Oliver Cromwell, the Protector) holds a tradition, that 
two members of the family came to America in 1674, and 
that on the voyage to this continent they resolved to 



change the name. With solemn ceremony this was done 
by writing the name of each on paper, each then cutting 
the letter " m " from the paper and casting it into the sea.* 
Interesting traditions concerning the patriotism of the 
Edgar, Crowell and Bloomfield families during the War 
of Independence also exist. According to the custom of 
the last century in large families — after acquiring such 
an education as the common schools afforded — sons who 
did not stay by the land, or had no land to till, who did 
not enter upon the professions or engage in maritime 
trade, were apprenticed to the trades. Accordingly, 
Alexander Edgar, j father of the subject of this sketch, 
was apprenticed to the trade of carpentry, and his son 
Timothy to that of coach-building. Before Mr. Edgar 
was of age, his employer, a distant relative, suggested 
that he go to New Orleans, and take charge of a branch 
house that had been established in that city. It had been 
the great desire of the youth's life to clear his father's 



* " The family parchment or vellum recording- these facts was in the pos- 
session of the Crowell family, in North Carolina, in an ornamental chest, with 
other valuables, when, by a party of ' Tarleton's Legion,' in 1781, the chest 
was seized and taken off. These facts are undoubted." — " Branches of the 
Crowell family removed from New Jersey to North Carolina and Virginia 
about 1722, and other members of the family continued to follow until the year 
1740."— Edwin Salter, Washington, D. C, 1886. Sarah Crowell. wife of Alex- 
ander Kdgar, and great-granddaughter of Edward Crowell, of Woodbridge, New 
Jersey, the founder of the family in America, also mentioned Cromwell as the 
original family name. — F. 11. E. K. 

t To Alexander Edgar and Sarah Crowell. his wife, were born nine chil- 
dren, seven sons and two (laughters, of which family Timothy Bloomfield is 
the third son. 



estate of an encumbrance ; this he had nearly accom- 
plished, when a relative presented him with a clear title 
to the estate, before he departed on his long journey west- 
ward. Thus, the desire of his heart was gratified, ere he 
was twenty-one years of age. Mr. Edgar, on his way to 
Xew Orleans, passed through St. Louis, with which city 
he was greatly pleased. On his arrival, however, at his 
destination, he was not so favorably impressed, and decided 
to return to St. Louis and make it his future home. He 
left New Orleans in a sailing vessel, and arrived in New 
York City December, 1835, the memorable year of the 
great fire in that city. In April, 1836, Mr. Edgar came 
to St. Louis, Missouri, and established a carriage reposi- 
tory, at the corner of Fourth and Morgan streets. In the 
course of a few years, he purchased and improved the 
property at Nos. 409 and 411 North Third street. The 
first coaches ever built in Missouri were built at Mr. 
Edgar's repository, for Colonel Thomas L. Price, and 
were used on lines running from St. Louis to the farther 
West, where they well served the purpose of the ante- 
railroad period. 

In 1837 Mr. Edgar was married to Miss Mary Ann 
Boyce, daughter of Mr. William H. Boyce, who became 
a resident of St. Louis in 1828, and was an enterprising 
and public spirited citizen during the early periods of this 
century. To Mr. and Mrs. Edgar were born eight chil- 
dren, Frances H. (Mrs. Edward P. Rice, of Chicago), 

9 



William B., Emma C. (Mrs. Oliver F. Garrison, of Miss- 
ouri), Joseph A., Selwyn C, Clara R., Clara M. (Mrs- 
Charles D. McEure, of St. Louis), and Robert H. Two 
children, Joseph Alexander and Clara R., died in 
infancy. 

At an early period, Mr. Edgar was a member of the 
Board of Directors of the Dollar Savings Institution, and 
when that institution was merged into the Exchange Bank 
of St. Eouis, he, as one of its leading spirits, devoted to 
the latter much time and attention. " From this period 
dates Mr. Edgar's career as a banker, with which impor- 
tant branch of commerce he was identified many years 
and in which he has won the unqualified confidence and 
esteem of his fellow-citizens."* Under the "National 
Banking Act ' ' he organized the Second National Bank of 
St. Eouis, Missouri, of which institution he was president 
several years. 

In i860, Mr. Edgar withdrew almost entirely from com- 
mercial life ; in this respect, he unwittingly resembles a 
class of English and Scottish gentlemen, who, after hav- 
ing acquired a modest fortune, retire from the active busi- 
ness world, preferring to devote the remaining years of 
life to philanthropy and to various branches of mental 
culture. Little did he realize at this time, that he would 
so soon enter upon the most active period of his life, and 



*The cited paragraphs which follow in this sketch are from "Saint 
T,ouis, the Future Great CU3' of the World. Biographical edition," 

10 



that his time and talents would be engaged in sustaining 
a nation amid the throes of a civil war. 

Mr. Edgar, together with several members of his fam- 
ily, now contemplated spending a year abroad, visiting the 
British Isles and the continent of Europe, but the dark 
cloud of war appeared on the horizon of the country, and 
as it grew more and more threatening, and finalty broke 
with all its lurid terror, not only over his country, but 
upon the city and state of his adoption, he bade farewell 
to all thoughts of pleasure or travel, and took his position 
quietfy, yet with great firmness, among those who were 
ready to sustain the National Government in its hour of 
peril and great need. A little episode may not be out of 
place here, illustrating how quickly war may produce a 
reign of terror in a peaceful, law-abiding city. A gentle- 
man, scarcely knowing what course to pursue, on learning 
that on a certain Sunday the city would be sacked by the 
German citizens, called at Mr. Edgar's residence and 
asked permission to bring his family beneath his (Mr. 
Edgar's) roof for protection, stating, that in case of rapine, 
he thought Mr. Edgar's house would certainly escape pil- 
lage, as his firmness in sustaining the National Govern- 
ment was widely known. Mr. Edgar quickly assented, 
but noticing that the gentleman was armed, added, on one 
condition ; i. e., that no arms be brought into the house ; 
"for," said Mr. Edgar, " I have lived under, and been 
protected by the Government of the United States all my 

11 



life, and I believe that the government is able and will 
protect me and mine." The gentleman in question with- 
drew his request, saying he could not think of laying 
aside his arms at such a crisis. The sequence proved 
there had been no foundation for the terrible rumor. 

It was in 1861, not long after this episode, " that Gen- 
eral John C. Fremont, Commandant of the Department 
of the West, made a request for eighty thousand dollars 
in gold, to pay for ordnance. Mr. Edgar maintained that 
it was not only the duty of private citizens, but of bank- 
ing institutions also, to strengthen the power of the gov- 
ernment, and through his influence the money was 
furnished. On account of some informality in the voucher 
given by General Fremont, and the great demands upon 
the treasury of the government, Mr. Edgar was obliged 
to go to Washington City and give his personal attention 
to the matter ; he succeeded in making an equitable set- 
tlement, receiving eighty thousand dollars in gold for 
General Fremont's voucher." 

" During the Civil War Mr. Edgar applied himself 
by every means to relieve the burdens of our people ; he 
was one of a committee of two (Mr. George Partridge, of 
St Eouis, also being one) appointed by the Merchants' 
Exchange of St. Louis, to proceed to Washington City, 
and endeavor to secure payment of the government 
vouchers that had accumulated in St. Louis. About fif- 
teen million dollars of these vouchers were held in this 

L2 



city, and were at a discount of from eight to ten per cent, 
while the community was suffering from the lack of cur- 
rency. It was a delicate and difficult mission, but it was 
brought to a successful issue, though there were many 
prejudices to overcome, both in the minds of Mr. Stanton, 
Secretan r of War, and Mr. Chase, Secretary of the 
Treasury. 

" After the allowance of the claims, certificates of 
indebtedness, payable in bonds, under an agreement to 
hold them a certain period, were issued. This stipulation 
in the settlement, was, however, soon withdrawn and the 
transaction completed." It was at the time of this mis- 
sion, during a conference with Secretary of War Stanton, 
that Mr. Partridge placed his foot upon Mr. Edgar's, thus 
warning him that he (Mr. Partridge) thought Mr. Edgar 
was pressing the matter too far to insure final success. In 
this transaction, there was an opportunity for both gentle- 
men to add greatly to their private fortunes, but neither 
indulged the thought for a moment, their one desire being 
to strengthen the finances of the city.* 

A committee, known as the War Relief Committee, 
was appointed by the Court of St. I^ouis County, to relieve 
the needs of soldiers' families, the families of those in 



* Mr. Edgar and Mr. Partridge being the first to receive information of the 
payment of .the government vouchers, had an opportunity to buy any amount 
of said vouchers at a large discount before the order was made public by the 
government. In fact, a strong banking house of one of our great Eastern cities 
approached them on this point, but to such a proposition they, of course, gave 
no heed. 

13 



active service, as well as of those who had fallen on the 
battle fields. Twenty citizens constituted this committee ; 
of this organization Mr. Edgar was president, and held 
the office until the close of the war. ' ' He managed the 
large disbursements of this War Relief Fund * * with 
universal satisfaction and with a degree of accuracy that 
seemed impossible." 

In 1863 Mr. Kdgar was appointed by the Governor of 
the State of Missouri (Hamilton R. Gamble) a trustee, of 
the Missouri Institution for the Education of the Blind, 
to which institution he devoted much time and thought 
for many years. 

In 1864 he was elected a member of the Board of Cor- 
porators of the Soldiers' Orphans' Home, of which board 
he was treasurer, until the purpose for which the Home 
was established was fulfilled, and there was no longer any 
need of an institution of this character. Mr. Edgar was 
also a member of the Board of Public Schools of St. Louis 
for several years, and, as a member of the Board of Trus- 
tees of the Public School Library Association, was greatly 
interested in establishing this library in the interest of the 
public schools of the city. 

Mr. Edgar was one of the founders of the Missouri 
Historical Society, of which organization he is a life 
member. (This society was organized several years pre- 
vious to its incorporation.) 

For some years he was one of the leaders in the 
14 



St. Louis Provident Association, which was one of the 
best organized city charities in the United States at that 
period. 

When peace and prosperity again reigned, and he was 
relieved of the great responsibilities and many cares 
induced by the war, Mr. Edgar yielded to his taste for 
travel — this taste having always been great, had made him 
familiar with his own country — and in 1865, accompanied 
by his wife, a daughter and a son, he made a tour of 
Europe, and returned greatly refreshed, ready to enter 
again upon the duties of a citizen. 

"In 1867 he organized the Continental Bank under 
the name of the National Loan Bank of St. Louis, and 
became its president ; the construction given the national 
banking law, demanded the elimination of the word 
national, and the present name, Continental, was adopted. 
On his return from Europe, he became a director in the 
Missouri Pacific Railway, and in 1873-4 was president 
of that great corporation." During his connection with 
this Board, the Pacific Railway purchased the interest of 
the State of Missouri in said corporation. Mr. Edgar was 
one of the committee (Mr. George R. Taylor, Mr. James 
H. Lucas and Mr. James H. Harrison, of St. Louis, 
and perhaps one other, constituting the committee), that 
negotiated the bonds for this purchase, amounting to 
seven millions of dollars. 

"Asa promoter of manufacturing interests his efforts 

15 



have been highly advantageous to the welfare of the State, 
of which the Glendale Zinc Works, of South St. Louis, 
are an example, ' ' in which his sons and other members 
of the family are now largely interested. 

In 1880 Mr. Edgar resigned the presidency of the 
Continental Bank of St. Louis, thus severing his active 
connection with the commercial world. "During an 
exceptionally long period of active life he has had what 
might be called an unbroken success. He has been the 
custodian of the moneys of individuals and of corpora- 
tions to a very large amount, every dollar of which has 
been satisfactorily accounted for. ' ' Ever the quiet gentle- 
man in his own home, he is now, at the ripe age of 
seventy-seven years, always to be found in his library, 
among his cherished books. To his mother, he was a 
faithful and dutiful son, and a solace to her in her long 
days of widowhood ; to two younger brothers and a still 
younger sister he was as a father. As a husband, thought- 
ful and considerate. Devoted to the welfare of his children 
to an extreme degree, the fatherhood of the subject of this 
sketch, may be illustrated in the experience of a daughter ; 
the relation which she bore to her earthly father, greatly 
assisted her, in her early youth, to understand the love of 
her Heavenly Father toward his children, and to lovingly 
claim the blessings, so freely promised in his Word. 
Though very domestic in his tastes, his home was the 
center of a large and generous hospitality for many years. 

16 



In his religious belief his views are similar to those of the 
Friends, of which sect his parents were devoted members. 
He was, however, a warm friend of Dr. T. M. Post, and 
was for several years a trustee of the Society of the First 
Congregational Church, St. Iyouis, of which church Dr. 
Post was for many years the pastor. 

' ' All through his life Mr. Edgar has received the 
merited commendations and sincere respect of all who 
knew him or his deeds. Keenly sensitive to the rights 
and feelings of others, he performs the duties of each day 
with conscientious care ; unambitious of mere popular 
regard, he has yet won the admiration of a people, who 
cannot but speak his name kindly and with warm enco- 
miums upon virtues, that are unostentatious, and yet none 
the less apparent. Honors and success follow unsought 
in the path of such a life," but above and beyond all else, 
it bears the testimony, that he serves his generation in his 
day and that truly he liveth not unto himself. 




17 



CHAPTER II. 



Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, 

Nor standeth in the way of sinners, 

Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 

But his delight is in the law of the I y ord ; 

And in his law doth he meditate day and night. 

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, 

That bringeth forth its fruit in its season, 

Whose leaf also shall not wither ; 

And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 

— Psalms I. 1-3. 



AMONG the colonial families of New Jerse}^ were 
found the ancestors of Mr. Edgar, and now, we have 
but to sail down the Atlantic Coast, as far as the State 
of North Carolina, where, on its sea-washed strands, in 
those counties, whose water courses are but the arteries 
of a great ocean threading the land, as, with fitful pulse, 
the stormy deep, throbs and surges through the Albe- 
marle, we find the home of the ancestors of his wife, Mary 
Ann Boyce. In three counties ; i. e., Bertie, Hertford 
and Gates, and perhaps in others lying near the sea, were 
located as planters, the various colonial families, from 
which sprang her ancestors. In these counties men- 
tioned, early in the eighteenth century, are found the 
names of Gardiner and Harrell, families, from which 

18 



sprang ancestors in the direct maternal line ; in the 
paternal line, the name of Hardy appears at the same 
period, but that of Boyce, cannot be traced until later 
in the same century. This may be accounted for in 
various ways. First, the family seems to have been a 
small one, especially in its male representation ; second, 
old family records have become scattered and cannot be 
easily traced, since the male line, so far as known, has 
been extinct for a number of years. It scarcely can 
be doubted, however, that members of the family, came 
to this country during that early period, when excite- 
ment ran high, and the desire of nations to explore 
new lands and seas was great. A planter, writing his 
name De Boyce, lived in the parish of Saint Michael, 
Barbadoes, in 1680 ; as a family tradition states that Boyce 
is a name of Norman extraction, it may be supposed the 
name was probably written ' ' de Boyce ' ' originally. Names 
of different members of the families mentioned above, are 
found on the various public records of the State of North 
Carolina, showing that they have ever been ready to serve 
both their country and their state, in times of war and 
of peace. William Hardy Boyce, and his wife, Mary 
Eliza (Polly) Harrell, parents of Mrs. Edgar, were chil- 
dren of neighboring planters. Mr. Boyce was born near 
Windsor, Bertie County, North Carolina, in 1796, and his 
wife, in the same state and county, two years later. Mr. 
Boyce' s mother having died during his early childhood, 

19 



his father married a second wife. About the period of 
1812, Mr. Boyce lost his father also. Soon after this 
event, he entered the American army, and remained until 
the close of the War of 18 12. Mary Eliza Harrell was 
bereft of both parents, when quite an infant, and was com- 
mitted to the fostering care of an older brother, Mr. 
Gabriel Harrell ; as a guardian, he remained faithful to 
his trust, until his little ward grew into womanhood, 
and finally took upon herself the vows of a wife, on her 
marriage with William Hardy Boyce, in 18 16. 

In 18 18 Mr. Boyce removed from North Carolina to 
the State of Alabama, and it was at Huntsville, Alabama, 
November 5, 18 19, that Mary Ann Boyce was born, she 
being the second daughter, as well as the second child, 
born into the family. In 1828 Mr. Boyce again-changed 
his place of residence, and arrived at St. Eouis, Missouri, 
November, 1828, accompanied by his wife and three chil- 
dren, two daughters; i. e., Margaret E. (Mrs. Joseph 
Rowe, of Missouri), Mary Ann (Mrs. Timothy B. Edgar) 
and Samuel H., deceased, a little daughter having died 
in infancy at Huntsville, Alabama. Mr. Boyce soon 
become a .successful lumber merchant, but about the 
period of 1840-41 he withdrew from this branch of com- 
merce and built several steamers, placing them on the 
Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Mr. Boyce died at St. 
Louis, June, 1849, soon after the great fire, at the com- 
paratively early age of fifty-two years and some months. 

'20 



The year 1849 is a year memorable in the history of St. 
Louis ; a year marked by fire, flood and that dread 
scourge, cholera. Mr. Boyce was an earnest and devout 
churchman, of the Episcopalian faith, but as there was no 
Episcopal church in St. Louis at the period of his arrival 
in that city, he, with his wife, united with the Methodist 
Episcopal church, in which connection they remained 
during the later } r ears of life. Notwithstanding the 
period at which he lived and the scenes amidst which 
he dwelt, Mr. Boyce was a man of remarkable Christian 
character. We mention two facts, associated with his 
business career, which illustrate the principles and the 
character of the man, facts which are as pertinent to this 
day, as they were to the period of which we write. Mr. 
Boyce allowed no intoxicating liquors to be sold upon his 
steamers, nor could those traveling under his auspices, 
engage in any games of chance, where gambling 
might be introduced — a baneful custom, which haunted 
steamer traffic, during the early part of this century. 
Isolated pictures flash upon the dim, far-away childhood- 
memory of the writer : now, a bright, genial face, on 
which a wealth of love and kindly feeling are portrayed ; 
now, a pleasant, melodious voice falls upon the ear, as one, 
with the presence and carriage of a Southern gentleman 
of the ''old school," appears upon the scene. Again, a 
child, with arms clasped about the neck of grandpapa ; her 
young face is pressed closely against that of the older one, 

21 



while her slight figure is enfolded within strong loving 
arms. Thus, after the lapse of years, are the happy 
memories of the hours spent with grandfather vividly 
recalled by one of his loved ones. 

Although Mrs. Boyce survived her husband until the 
year 1876, the wellspring of life seems to have, in a 
measure, ceased to flow at his death. Through a long 
period of widowhood she mourned the loss of loved ones, 
and in later years the devastation of her beloved South- 
land by war. Intense in her love, so was she also intense 
in feeling, concerning every relation in life ; yet midst it 
all she was ever the proud Southern dame, and suffered, 
as only such natures can suffer, as she witnessed the vio- 
lent changes that occurred during and after the great 
Civil War. Mrs. Boyce was deft in the use of her needle, 
and it gave her great pleasure to present to both children 
and grandchildren, skillfully- wrought pieces of her handi- 
work, which have been carefully preserved and are highly 
prized by her descendants. At the closing years of her 
long life of nearly eighty years, Mrs. Boyce oftentimes 
remarked, that the scenes of her life had been so varied 
and so woven into the early history of the nation, that if 
she should write of these events, the story would be as 
interesting and thrilling as any romance ever written. 
Oh, that we had insisted, that she put such recollections . 
upon paper ! How we would scan the pages now, in 
this our four-hundredth-anniversary-year ! How we 

22 



should enjoy the quaint pictures of early national life, 
together with bits of history, which are often preserved, 
only by those who are closely associated with certain 
passing events. 




23 



CHAPTER III. 

A virtuous womau who can find ? 

For her price is far above rubies. 

The heart of her husband trusteth in her, 

And he shall have no lack of gain. 

She doeth him good and not evil 

All the days of her life. 

She girdeth her loins with strength, 

And maketh strong her arms. 

Her lamp goeth not out by night. 

She spreadeth out her hand to the poor ; 

Yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. 

She is not afraid of the snow for her household ; 

For all her household are clothed with scarlet. 

Her husband is known in the gates, 

When he sitteth among the elders of the land. 

Strength and dignity are her clothing ; 

She looketh well to the ways of her household, 
And eateth not the bread of idleness. 
Her children rise up and call her blessed ; 

Her husband also. 

A womau that feareth the L,ord, she shall be praised. 

— Prov. xxxi. 



VK will now return to the year 1828, at which 
period Mrs. Edgar, then a child of nine years, 
found herself surrounded by new and varied scenes in the 
city of St. Iyouis. She recalls vividly the appearance 
of the city during the days of her early girlhood ; the 
few narrow streets, the rolling commons and the pleasant 
meadow-lands beyond, all of which at this day are occu- 
pied by great buildings in the heart of the oldest districts 
of the city. The little maiden was all life and action ; she 

24 




<%***. -y, &?. £*&*-o 



reveled in outdoor life, and as she grew in years, it was 
her delight to make purchases according to the needs of 
the household, so far as her youth and judgment would 
permit. The little shopping excursions met in a great 
degree, the cravings of her active nature, and gave play 
to those faculties of her mind, which in after years devel- 
oped into large executive ability. We must remember, at 
that day, there were scarcely any of those games for girls 
which are now found so pleasant and healthful, and 
yielding much enjoyment to those for whom they are 
planned. In after years, Mrs. Edgar's children, always 
greatly enjoyed the stories of "mother's pets when she 
was a little girl." These pets were many and of various 
kinds ; to their history her children would listen with bated 
breath, for strange to say, almost all came to .some sad 
tragic end, bringing sorrow and dismay to the little woman 
by whom they were so fondly cherished. Thus, early in 
life, was manifested a warm, loving heart, an inheritance 
bequeathed to her by both parents. Mrs. Edgar was 
educated at the St. Louis Institute. This institute was 
established and conducted by the Misses Stibbs, noted 
educators in St. Louis in the early part of this century, 
whose work was largely known and recognized as of 
marked influence, not only in educational circles, but in 
the city at large. While under this training Mrs. Edgar 
developed a taste for music, drawing and painting in 
water colors. In a specimen of the latter, which has been 

25 



preserved, we see the same severe and precise type, which 
is now found in collections of works of art, executed by 
the maidens of our colonial families of the eighteenth 
century. At the residence of her parents, August 22, 
1837, Mary Ann Boyce gave her hand in marriage to 
Timothy Bloomfield Edgar. The years sped, and eight 
children come to gladden their household ; two, a son and 
a daughter, tarried in the earthly home but for a brief 
space, as the steady stream of united lives swept on, in 
sunlight and through shadow. 

It was not until the Civil War rose as a great tidal 
wave, threatening to engulf and destroy all things before 
it, that Mrs. Edgar's decisive character and executive 
ability were called into action and exercised beyond 
the precincts of her own home. Though a Southern 
woman in nature and character, as well as by birth, she 
had settled in her own mind, the question in its embryo, 
years before, when the Methodist Episcopal church, of 
which she was a member, separated, forming a Methodist 
Episcopal Church South and a Methodist Episcopal 
Church North. Mrs. Edgar decided she could not walk 
with either, since, in her mind, the church should know 
no North, no South, no East, no West, but should consti- 
tute one body in the Lord Christ Jesus. Entertaining 
such principles, she could not accept the Act of Secession 
in 1 86 1 ; the union of the States must be preserved, so 
long as the National Government continued its fostering 

26 



care; in union alone was there strength. "United we 
stand, divided we fall," was her motto. Although at this 
period, each of her six children, was of an age to require 
the watchful eye of a mother, yet, when the shock came, 
and the stern realities of war were felt, she was ready to 
act in her woman's sphere and to meet the exigencies of 
the hour. Her watchful eye and guiding hand were not 
withdrawn in the least from her children or the machinery 
of her household, neither was hospitality neglected, dur- 
ing the eighteen months, in which she devoted so large a 
portion of her time and strength to the Nation's welfare. 
Not, in fact, until the Western Sanitary Commission, the 
Ladies' Union Aid Society, smd the various departments 
of the National Government, were thoroughly organized 
and equipped, did she pause in her incessant care for the 
sick and wounded soldiers, the refugees and the Indians, 
who were scattered and made destitute by the ravages of 
war round about them ; and she continued through the 
entire war, to ' ' lend a hand ' ' in many ways as the occa- 
sion required. Mrs. Edgar was one of the few ladies who 
met at the home of Mrs. F. Holy, July 26, 1861, to dis- 
cuss ways and means, by which, the efforts of the ladies 
of St. Louis, who desired to sustain the Federal Govern- 
ment, might be united. 

After the severe battles in Missouri, she assisted Mr. 
James E. Yateman, president of the Western Sanitary 
Commission, and others, in gathering nurses, buying 

27 



hospital supplies and getting in readiness the new House 
of Refuge Hospital, to which hospital, the first hundred of 
the sick and wounded were taken. At this time, " there 
was no room in the hospitals, no clothing, no stores of 
food and medicines, no surgical corps, no preparation 
in any department." A call was issued by Gen. John 
C. Fremont, Commandant of the Department of the 
West, for lint, bandages, etc., and for ladies to assist in 
preparing them ; an apartment was assigned for the recep- 
tion of these articles at General Fremont's headquarters. 
In the course of a few weeks the room was needed for 
other purposes, and then it was, that Mrs. Edgar offered 
to have these hospital stores removed to her own home, 
situated on the same avenue, not many blocks distant 
from General Fremont's residence. Two large apartments 
in her house were set apart to receive them, and here, for 
eighteen months, women wrought. Iyint, bandages and 
hospital clothing were made, stores and garments were 
received, and sent to various points, where battles raged, 
and where the wounded and sick lay in temporary hos- 
pitals. All articles and moneys received, were duly 
recorded by Mrs. Edgar's secretary, together with the 
donors, as well as the points to which the stores were 
sent. 

It was during these months, that Mrs. Edgar was 
greatly assisted by many German ladies of the city, 
women of culture, of "gentle blood" and of marked 

28 



refinement, in character and disposition. They seemed to 
know instinctively, woman's work and place, midst war 
and conflict. Alas ! in their native land, the clash of arms, 
the moving of great armies, had been seen and heard, and 
with womanly grace, they had stood and ministered to the 
suffering ones, who dropped by the wayside as the conflict 
rolled on. Their kindly aid was gratefully accepted by our 
American women, who were stunned and appalled for the 
moment, when suddenly the}^ found themselves face to 
face with the stern realities of war. In order to facilitate 
the work, Mrs. Edgar organized her assistants, calling 
the organization the Fremont Relief Society, as it was in 
answer to an appeal of General Fremont, that this branch 
of work had its origin. Several times Mrs. Edgar, accom- 
panied by a co-worker, visited hospital camps in various 
parts of the State, to note what was needed and to see that 
certain supplies were promptly delivered. Of the Mississ- 
ippi Valley Sanitary Fair, held at St. Louis, Ma} 7 , 1864 
(the object of which was to raise a fund for the sick and 
wounded of the armies of the Mississippi Valley, under 
the general direction of the Western Sanitary Commission), 
Mrs. Edgar was a member of the Executive Commit- 
tee of Ladies, and was chairman of a Linen Department, 
which netted to the Fair the sum of two thousand three 
hundred and ninety-six dollars. 

After the close of the Civil War, Mrs. Edgar greatly 
enjoyed her European tour with her husband and several 

29 



members of her family. An older daughter, recalls the 
lively description her mother gave of her travels, soon 
after her return, as she turned from one view to another, 
the views being systematically arranged according to the 
plan of her journeyings. So vivid was the impression 
made, that in later years, after hearing one of the popular 
" Stoddard lectures," the daughter remarked to her hus- 
band, " that neither the views, nor the descriptions, were 
quite equal, to the little illustrated talk her mother gave 
one morning, soon after her European tour." On the 
certificate of incorporation of the St. Eouis Woman's 
Christian Association, organized December, 1868, stands 
the name of " Mary A. Edgar," and of which body her 
name appears as vice-president. For a number of years 
Mrs. Edgar was also a member of the Board of Managers 
of the St. Louis Protestant Orphan Asylum. She was 
elected to the office of vice-president of the same institu- 
tion, but resigned after a brief term, as other matters 
claimed her time and attention. 

The sentiments that have been expressed in prose, 
poetry and song, extolling a mother's love and devotion, 
are beautifully illustrated in Mrs. Edgar's character as a 
mother ; and now, as she enjoys with her husband the 
quiet of their delightful home, she looks out upon the 
surging world with interest, but cares not to mingle with 
its strife and bustle ; for has she not, even as her hus- 
band, served her generation ? And her children, engaged 

30 



and interested in the intense life of great cities, as they 
pass to and from the parental home, arise, as the children 
of old, and call her blessed. 




:;i 



TO OUR DEAR PARENTS ON THEIR 
GOLDEN WEDDING DAY. 

AUGUST 22, 1887. 
I. 

Father, mother dear, 

Far away by the dark blue sea, 

Where every whispering zephyr, 

Evety passing breeze, 

Every dash of the briny spray, 

Every song of the murmuring wave, 

Bring to you by their fairy touch, 

A priceless gift, not glittering gold, 

But the gift of health, the strength of old. 

11. 

The Golden Day has come, 

The cycle is complete, 

We would not call } r ou home, 

To the city's heated halls, 

To its parched and arid streets, 

At this, our festive hour. 

What more fitting, than to keep 

This golden tide by the sea, 

32 



To celebrate at dear Old Rye 

The Golden Wedding Day. 

Where, in deep glades of fragrant pine, 

'Mid skies of bine and fields of green, 

Lulled by the music of the waves, 

So many peaceful days have sped. 

in. 

After a voyage of fifty years 

O'er rolling billows and summer seas, 

Through threatening storms and wintry blasts, 

Could there be a fairer haven, 

In which to tarty, and celebrate, 

This happy, joyful, Wedding Day? 

IV. 

To us, no parents e'er like ours, 

None, so good and true, 

As down through all the golden years 

Chime the sweet memories, 

Of fond parental love. 

v. 

And now, sweet bells, o'er land and sea, 
Ring out, ring out, a joyful peal 
On this the Golden Nuptial Day. 

33 



VI. 

At this eventful tide, we children six, 

To our parental shrine, no worldly treasures bring ; 

No pearls from the silent deep, 

No gems from Afric's burning sands, 

But, enshrined, within a circle, veiled to human 

sight, 
We bring, six living, loving, loyal, hearts. 
Ye know them well, we need not speak, 
For midst the peal of wedding bells, 
We humbly lay them at your feet. 

VII. 

Before Him, who with tender care 

Hath kept you, through all the changing years, 

We sound our grateful hallelujahs. 

May the incense of loving hearts, 

Swell the anthem sweet and clear, 

As we pray, that o'er your pathway 

Golden blessings e'er may shower, 

Bathing the landscape, in effulgence bright, 

Till it reaches, afar, the eternal heights. 

f. h. k. k. 



34 



TO OUR DEAR FATHER, ON HIS 
SEVENTY-FIFTH BIRTHDAY. 

JANUARY 20TH, 1890. 



Dear father, we come with a greeting to you, 
Bearing garlands fresh as the morning dew, 
Wreathed into crowns of a sparkling hue, 
We greet the new year with this tribute to you. 

11. 

But the day that we hail and so happily note, 
The anniversary day of your birth, 
We greet with songs of gladsome mirth ; 
'Tis the da}- that brings to us more joy, 
Than any bright hope of sunn}^ cheer 
Wafted to us by the glad new year. 

in. 

In songs of praise our hearts we raise 
Through many hopes and fears, 
For life and health vouchsafed to you 
These five and seventy years. 

35 



Changing years, of varied hue, 

Studded with blessings not a few, 

'Mid skies of soft ethereal blue, 

These years have brought good gifts to you. 

IV. 

How thankful we are for your fireside bright, 
Where the world doth not enter its comfort to blight. 
Here the children still gather, in sorrow and joy, 
And in its soft, radiant light, many hours employ 
In recalling sweet memories, only time can destroy. 



Dear father, now we bid you adieu, 
With the loving wish, that both mother and you, 
Continue to welcome, as your hearts' delight, 
Both children and friends, to your fireside bright. 

VI. 

When, in future years to come, 

We are gathered, one by one, 

To our blessed home above, 

May ours be, an unbroken band, 

Redeemed, made perfect, by the blood of the Lamb. 

F. H. F,. R. 



36 



APPENDIX. 



Of the different Saxon families that became identified 
with the Scottish nation, at the period of the Norman 
Conquest, some are more prominent than others. The 
history of the well-known line of Edgar Ktheling or 
Atheling, the fourth remove from Ethelred II, and the heir 
to the Saxon line of kings, as well as that of his sister, the 
Princess Margaret, afterward, as the wife of Malcolm III 
of Scotland, the Scottish queen, so greatly beloved by king 
and people, is familiar to all ; but not so, perhaps, is that 
of the Saxon-Scottish House of Dunbar. An ancestress of 
this house was the Princess Elgiva, daughter of Ethelred 
II, King of the Anglo-Saxons, and granddaughter of 
Edgar, the Saxon King of England, and the wife of Uch- 
tred,* Prince of Northumbria, England. Their daughter 
and heiress, Algetha, written also Algitha, was given in 
marriage to Maldred, grandson of Malcolm II of Scot- 
land, and brother to the "gracious King Duncan" of 
the same country. The first Gospartick, or Cospatrick, 
Earl of Northumbria, son of Maldred and Algitha, was 

* Siward, the Giant Earl of Northumberland, is stated to have married 
Aelfled, the great-granddaughter of Waltheof. Waltheof, born about A. D. 969, 
was the father of Uchtred. 

37 



confirmed in the earldom of Northumbria by William the 
Conqueror in 1067. He (Cospatrick) received a grant of 
Dunbar, Scotland, with the lands in Lothian, from his 
kinsman, Malcolm III, in 1072, probably a portion of 
the same territory wrested from his ancestors by Malcolm 
II in 1018. 



The following bit of history, gleaned from " Genealog- 
ical Collections Concerning the Scottish House of Ed- 
gar," * with occasional notes and remarks added by 
the compiler, f may be of interest to the descendants of 
that ancient house. The second Cospatrick of North- 
umbria, or Northumberland, England, was the first 
Earl of Dunbar, and the fourth Cospatrick, the third 
Earl of Dunbar ; Edgar, third son of the third Earl 
of Dunbar (period of time, about the middle of the 
twelfth century), appears to have been ancestor of 
those of the surname Edgar. | A charter is vouched 
of Earl Patrick, son of Waldeve, Earl of Dunbar, who 
grants to the monks of Durham the church and lands of 
Edram for prayers to be said * * etc. The charter 
is granted in the reign of King William of Scotland, 



* Grampian Club, London, 1873. 

tF. H. E. R-, 1892. 

} " Verstigan derives the name from F<ad, an oath, and to keep." 

Webster's International Dictionary : a javelin (or protector) of property. 

38 



and contains many witnesses, and among them appears 
the name of Willielm, films Edgari. This William, son 
of Edgar, seems to have been one of the progenitors 
of Edgar of Wadderlie (period of time, probably toward 
the close of the twelfth century). (" The principal fam- 
ily of the name of Edgar there, is Edgar of Wadderlie, 
yet extant, who carried for their proper arms — Sable, 
a lion rampant argent." As the arms of the House 
of Wedderlie are found in armorial sculpture among 
its ancient ruins, they were probably adopted at an 
early period and made permanent during the reign of 
King William of Scotland (1165) "when armorial 
bearings were first assumed by warriors and men of 
consequence.") The territory, once in the posses- 
sion of the Wadderlie, or Wedderlie family, appears to 
have extended in a broken chain, from the coast of Ber- 
wickshire, Scotland, to the Solway Firth. Descriptions 
are given in various grants and deeds of the lands, in 
which are mentioned the tower, fortalice and manor 
houses of Wedderlie, the buildings, gardens, mills, mill 
lands, multures, meadows, pastures, parts, pendicles and 
pertinents of its towns and parishes. 

Toward the close of the thirteenth century, an Edgar, 
Eaird of Wedderlie (probably Sir Patrick Edgar, Knt.), 
appears to have married a Countess of Home.* Early in 
the following century, during the reign of King Robert 

* The House of Home, a cadet of the House of Dunbar. 

39 



the Bruce, at whose marriage Richard de Edgar* was a 
witness ; the House of Wedderlie seems to have reached 
the summit of its prosperity . Richard de Edgar, in the 
reign of King Robert the Bruce, married the eldest daugh- 
ter and co-heiress of Ros of Sanquhar, f and William de 
Crichton or Crechton (ancestor of the Earl of Dumfries) 
married a younger daughter. During the reign of the 
Bruce, the barony was divided between Richard Edgar 
and William Crichton and Isabella, his wife. King 
Robert confirmed to Richard de Edgar and his son, the 
castle and half the barony of Sanquhar, in Upper Niths- 
dale,J also Dumfries and the lands of Ellioc, as well as 
those of Bartmonade and of Lobri, of Slochan, of 
Glenabenkan, and part of the lands of Kirkpatrick. 
Of the same king, Richard also obtained the barony of 
Kirkandrews, Wigtoun. 

One of Richard's four sons (Donald Edgar), was 
placed at the head of the Clan MacGowan in Niths- 
dale, by King David II of Scotland, while the older 
brother (Richard), seems to have resigned Wedderlie to a 
younger brother, Robert Edgar Dominus de Wedderlie, 
who was probably a godson of King Robert the Bruce. 



* Unlike the majority of noble surnames, this is not territorial ; twice only 
in the ancient records, which have escaped the hand of the destroyer, is an 
Kdgar named William de Wedderlie. 

f The barony of Sanquhar, situated in Southern Scotland, comprised a 
portion, if not all, of the present county of Dumfries. 

I Nithsdale, located in the same county (Dumfries), is traversed by the river 
Nith. 

40 



It is probable, that in the fourteenth century, the House of 
Wedderlie was more powerfully represented in Nithsdale 
than in its native shire (Berwick). The Laird of Wed- 
derlie, as co-representative of Robert de Ros,* Lord of 
Sanquhar, through his wife, a daughter of the latter, 
was allied to the family of one of the competitors for the 
Crown of Scotland in 1292, thus his position must have 
been among the foremost in the kingdom. 

Yet it seems strange, that when a distinction came 
gradually to be made between territorial and titular 
barons, an Edgar should have acquired the latter rank ; 
thus losing for his descendants a nominal status, which, 
like many powerful barons, they perhaps undervalued 
during the season of material prosperity, and before the 
encroachments of men, inferior by birth, but more ambi- 
tious — had reduced, by taking advantage of their inapti- 
tude for war or business, or by marriage with their daugh- 
ters, the once noble possessions of the family to com- 
paratively a few acres. f Moreover, they were among the 
few families who disobeyed the Act of 1672, in not having 
their arms matriculated in the Lyon Register then estab- 
lished. Then again, the direct succession seems "to have 
been more than once broken, and though it is incontro- 



*William de Ros, great-graudsou of Isabella, said to have been eldest 
daughter of King "William of Scotland. 

f The ancient manor house, once styled a fortalice, and about six thousand 
acres, chiefly moorland, picturesque^ extending toward the Lamnieniioor 
Hills, are all that now represent the lordly possessions of this once powerful 
family. 

4L 



vertible, that even during the most troublous times, Wed- 
derlie was never held but by an Edgar, still, at the period 
mentioned (1672), the Laird of Wedderlie may have 
been self-sufficient and short-sighted, or ignorant of the 
intention of the act referred to, and content to thus pro- 
ceed on the principle of ' ' leaving well enough alone. ' ' 
The lands of Wedderlie continued in the possession of the 
Edgar family until 1733-6, when they passed by sale to 
Robert Lord Blantyre. An apocryphal story is told of 
the departure of the Edgars of Wedderlie, from their 
ancient inheritance, the family being obliged to sell the 
estates ; and, in the words of the narrator, " the auld laird 
and leddy drove out in their carriage and four horses at 
midday ; but the young laird (their only child), was 
broken-hearted at the thocht o' leaving the auld place, 
and he waited till the darkening ; for he said, the sun 
should na shine when he left his hame." The pre- 
server of this anecdote was a very aged woman, named 
Eppy Forsyth, who died about 1840. She remembered 
seeing the young laird riding down the avenue alone, and 
she said, " It was a dark nicht when the last Edgar rode 
out of Wedderlie."* 

In the "Bride of Lammermoor," there are a few 



* Rear-Admiral Alexander IJdgar, who died at I,ondon, England, March, 
1817, at the age of eighty years, was the last male descendant (so far as known) 
of the ancient Scottish family of Kdgar of Wedderlie. The last Laird of Wed- 
derlie had five sons, of whom the Admiral was one ; it seems remarkable, that 
none of them should have left any known male descendants. 



marked and curious coincidences, between the family of 
Ravenswood and that of Edgar of Wedderlie. Both were 
of the Merse, and Wedderlie is situated at the foot of the 
Lammermoor Hills ; the Master of Ravenswood is named 
Edgar. Against the " Wolf's Crag " of the Romance, we 
have " Wolfstruther, " afterward Westruther, the parish 
of Wedderlie. Edgar Ravenswood was related to 
the Humes and Douglases ; so likewise was Edgar of 
Wedderlie ; but what is still more remarkable, both 
families were connected with that of Chiesly, and at the 
same period. The Ravenswoods were involved in a liti- 
gation in which Chiesly was implicated ; while in the 
public records at the period of the Romance, Edgar of 
Wedderly had a bitter lawsuit with Chiesly, the tutor of 
his father's younger children. Edgar of Wedderly was 
impoverished by his opposition to the Presbyterian 
Church, just as Edgar Ravenswood opposed its minister 
at his father's funeral. Both families were turbulent, and 
both were brought to ruin by espousing the losing cause. 
The House of Keithock,* a cadet of the House of 

* The estate of Kethick, or Keithock, a portion of the ancient possessions 
of the noble House of Lindsa3\ situated in Forfarshire, on the Eastern coast 
of Scotland (the Firth of Tay forming a part of its southern boundary), 
came into the Fdgar family early in the seventeenth century. The name 
Kdgar is found in the locality at an early period ; from 1202 to 1218, when the 
signatures of Robert and Thomas Edgar were attached to charters of the 
Bishop of Brechin, in favor of the abbey of Arbroath. In old registers, the 
barony of Keithock is described in a similar manner, as that of Wedderlie. 
The manor place and mansion house, including the town and lands of 
Laidsyd, the town and lands of Builbuttis are mentioned, with the tenants, and 
services of free tenants ; also houses, gardens, orchards, woods, fishings, 
moors, crofts, etc., all lying within the regality of Brechin, barony of Keithock, 
and sheriffdom of Forfar. 

43 



Wedderlie, was established in the seventeenth century. 
Several members of this house were devotedly attached to 
the House of Stewart, though they themselves were 
adherents to the Episcopal faith. John and James, sons 
of David Edgar, of Keithock, were prominent in the 
Rebellion of 17 15. The former died a prisoner in Stir- 
ling Castle, and the latter, escaping to Italy, became pri- 
vate secretary to the Chevalier de Saint George, termed 
by the Scots, King James VIII ; and occupied this post 
for the long period of fifty years. He was one of the 
few Scottish gentlemen, who formed the small court of the 
Chevalier, and shared with him, the long, weary years of 
exile. During his exile in Rome, Secretary Edgar 
appears to have been in straightened circumstances, due, 
in a great measure, to his scruples, which, as a Protestant, 
incapacitated him from holding such remunerative posi- 
tions under the Pontifical Government, as the Chevalier 
might otherwise have obtained for him. The British 
Government, having reason to believe, that another 
attempt for the restoration of the exiled family was about 
to be made, Sir Robert Walpole,* Prime Minister of Eng- 
land, discovered through intrigue, the great confidence re- 
posed by the Chevalier in his private secretary, and offered 
a handsome sum to the latter to induce him to betray 



* Of whom Sir Walter Scott writes: "Disbelieving in the very existence 
of patriotism, he (Sir Robert Walpole) held the opinion, that every man had 
his price, and might be bought, if his services were worth the value at which 
he rated them."— " Tales of a Grandfather." 

44 



the intention of the Prince. But the secretary, indig- 
nantly put the letter in the fire and returned no answer. 

Several other offers, gradually increasing in amount, 
followed, but met with the same fate ; until at length, Sir 
Robert, imagining that he had not yet come up to the 
secretary's price, wrote to the latter, informing him that 
,£10,000 had been placed to his credit in the Bank of 
Venice ; whereupon the secretar} T consulted the Cheva- 
lier, and after a brief interval replied ; and while thank- 
ing Sir Robert for the money (which he had lost no time 
in drawing from the bank), informed him, that he had 
just " laid it at the feet of his royal master, who had the 
best title to gold that came, as this had, from his own 
dominions." The Chevalier was deeply moved by this 
unexpected service, and in token of his gratitude, pre- 
sented to his faithful adherent a valuable souvenir, which 
has been preserved by his representatives, and is now 
in the possession of James David Edgar, Esq., .of 
Toronto, head of the House of Keithock. Another mem- 
ber of the House of Keithock, John Edgar, a nephew of 
the Secretary, united his fortune with that of Prince 
Charles Edward Stewart. After the decisive battle of 
Culloden, he arrived, a fugitive, at Keithock, and by a 
curious coincidence, sought the protection and aid of the 
same farmer, who, thirty years before, had facilitated the 
escape of his uncle. To his surprise, he w r as told that he 
should be accommodated with the identical clothes in 

45 



which his relative had found safety. After many unsuc- 
cessful attempts, the fugitive gave up the idea of escaping 
to the Continent, as all the ports were strictly watched. 
He therefore determined on joining his uncle Thomas, 
whose home had been in New Jersey for several 3^ears, and 
accordingly, without difficulty, embarked for America. 
After a week of perilous delay on the coast of Scotland, 
the skipper continued the voyage ; but they were 
scarcely halfway across the Atlantic when they were 
chased by a French privateer. Anxiously as everyone 
else on board hoped to escape, the fugitive Jacobite had 
other thoughts ; and when they were ultimately captured, 
on discovering himself to his captors, his property was 
restored. On being carried into a French port, he pro- 
ceeded at once to Paris, where he obtained a commission 
in Lord Ogilvy's regiment of the Scottish Brigade. 
Afterward he joined his uncle (the Secretary), at Rome ; 
and in 1756, after the publication of the Act of Indemnity, 
returned to Scotland. The following anecdote is related 
of Mr. John Edgar and Prince Charles Edward. The 
former was Postmaster-General to the Prince during his 
brief occupation of Edinburgh. One of his duties was 
to examine all letters leaving the town. In a letter 
from a young lady to a friend in the country, she 
mentioned that the rebels were in the town 1,000 strong. 
This being nearly the truth, Mr. Edgar asked the Prince 
whether the letter might be forwarded; "add a 'o,' ' : 

46 



was his reply, and "let it go." Cardinal York appre- 
ciated the services of the Edgars, and in the family 
of the latter, are many of the personal effects of the 
father and mother of the Cardinal, besides other val- 
uable relics of the Stewart family, the bequests of 
the Cardinal to Mr. Edgar. * Secretary Edgar's eldest 
brother, Alexander, succeeded to the estate of Keithock ; 
a younger brother, Henry, was third and last Bishop of 
Fife. 

Secretary James Edgar, eighth son of David Edgar, 
Eaird of Keithock, died in exile September 24, 1764 
(unmarried). His nephew John, who succeeded to the 
estate of Keithock, f survived him until the year 1788, 
when he expired, soon after receiving the tidings of the 
death of Prince Charles Edward. One member of the 
family meets a lonely death at Stirling Castle, another 
dies in exile far from home and kindred, and in the third, 
the sands of life, silently ebb, when those of his beloved 
prince cease to flow. Surely, faithful unto death, were 
these three cavaliers of Keithock, in their devotion to the 
House of Stewart. Thomas, J fifth son of David Edgar, of 
Keithock, proceeded to America in 1725, and there pur- 

* These relics are still (1892) in the possession of the Edgar family, 
Toronto, Canada. 

I Keithock passed out of the possession of the Edgar family in 1790, two 
j'ears after the death of John Edgar, the Secretary's nephew. James David 
Edgar, the fourth in descent from John Edgar, the last Eaird of Keithock, is a 
barrister-at-law, at Toronto, and Member of the Canadian Parliament. He is 
head, and the present, (1892), representative of the House of Keithock. 

% Ancestor of Timothy Bloomfield Edgar, St. Louis, Missouri, U. S. A. 

47 



chased an estate near the city of Elizabeth, State of New 
Jersey, which he styled Edgarton, after his family name. 
The estate continued in the Edgar family until the year 
1885. Of his numerous descendants, many have held influ- 
ential positions, in the various states of the Union. In each 
generation, members of the family have stood ready, to 
assist the new nation in its hour of need — in the War of 
Independence, in the War of 18 12, as well as in the great 
Civil War. May the noble and ancient name of Edgar, 
ever continue to be a bulwark of the American Nation, so 
long as the Nation's name is a synonym for righteous- 
ness, truth, freedom and honor. 




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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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